Short abstract:

This paper seeks to clarify the predominant ideals prescribed in technology through the description of its real usage. Based on empirical investigation of social robot uses in long-term care facilities in France and Japan, the aim is to understand how social robots represent social relationships.

Long abstract:

Addressing the care needs of older adults with cognitive impairment (OACI) is a major challenge in contemporary society. Some argue that technology can play roles in satisfying the socio-psychological needs of OACI. Their presumed goals are to increase both the quality of care for OACI and the working environment of care providers. In this regard, several studies have looked into visions, expectations and purposes in technology, particularly in Science and Technology Studies (STS). However, most research have primarily focused on the reciprocity between humans and technologies, with few empirical investigations taking into account the ethics of care framework and the concept of dependency. This presentation seeks to clarify the predominant ideals prescribed in technology development through the description of its real usage. The study is based on interviews with care professionals as well as technology developers and ethnographic observations of various social robot uses in long-term care facilities in diverse sociocultural situations (France and Japan), in order to understand how social robots prescribe and represent social orderings, including dependency relationships. The research presented here confirms that the configuration of social robots frequently assumes that each actor is autonomous and independent, with little regard for the (inter)dependencies among the various actors in the care setting and the possible effects this may have. The current findings highlight the importance of taking into account a complicated care arrangement with varying (and often invisible) values and interests of numerous subjects, as stressed in the ethics of care.